Tension-plate wheel



Dec. 29 1925.

W. E. WILLIAMS TENSION PLATE WHEEL Origirial Filed Jan. 8, 1920 2Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 29 1925.

W. E. WILLIAMS TENSION PLATE WHEEL disk.

Reisaued Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS, OF WILMET'I'E, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNEAS- SIGNMENTS, T0 STEEL WHEEL CORPORATION, OF LANS NG, MICHIGAN, A COR-PORATION OF MICHIGAN.

TENSION -PLATE WHEEL.

Original No. 1,888,815, dated November 29, 1921, Serial No. 350,108,filed January 8, 1820. Application for reissue filed February 27, 1928.Serial No. 621,68

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ERASTUS WInLIAMs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, a resident of Wilmette, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tension- PlateWheels.

The object of my invention is to provide a double plate disk wheel forautomobiles and other purposes which will be very light and ver strongand cheaply made, and in accomplishing this result seek to use theresistance of the plates to both tensile and compression strains.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa front elevation of the wheel.

F ig. 2 is a side sectional elevation showing one-half of the wheel buton a larger scale than that of Fi 1.

Fi 3 is a front elevation of the sleeve whic forms part of thedemountablo hub.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the part shown I in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the rim connection of the disks to therim.

Fig. 6 shows a vertical cross sectional elevation of the front disk.

Fig. 7 shows a front elevation of the front disk.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional elevation of the rear disk.

Fig. 9 shows a rear elevation of the rear Fig. 10 is a rear elevation ofthe inside hub member that fits on to the regular wooden hub piece.

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of a clamping ring shown in Fig. 14.

Fig. 12 is a cross sectional elevation of the front piece or stampingwhich forms the front end of the demountable hub.

Fig. 13 is a cross section showing a step in the method of assemblingthe parts of the wheel.

Fig. 14 shows a clamping ring that is used in fastening the rear d1skinto the demountable hub or sleeve.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the rear hub casting or forging of a.demountable passenger car wheel, and 2 indicates a section of the brakedrum ordinarily employed with the wooden wheel.

3 indicates an adapter hubmember which is used on the hub member of awooden wheel.

When this wheel is used as a stock equipment the huh I and the adapterhub 3 are made in a single unit as a matter of preference. 4 indicatesthe tread portion of the rim and 5 the rear flange of the rim and 6 thedetachable ring used with what are known as straight side tires.

In Fig. 2 I show the tread section 4 co posed of two pieces one of thembeing the main section 4 and the other the supplemental piece 7 but inthe modified form in Fig. 5 the tread section is indicated by 8 andbecomes a unitary section which is provided withan internally extendingflange 9 to which the disks are attached directly by the rivets 10.

The tension plate disks are formed of thin sheet metal and are indicatedin Fig. 2 by the rear disk 11 and the front disk 12, and their outerends in Fig. 2 are turned over into a 2 form as indicated by 13 and arethus interlocked between the lower flange 14 and the main rim portion 4and the secondary rim portion 7.

y In Fig. 5, however, the disks are turned over as indicated by 15 andreliance is placed upon the rivets 10 for holding the disks in p ace.

In Fig. 2, howeve the margins of the disks are not only eld by thefrictional embrace of the two sections 14 and 7 of the rim, but they arefurther secured by the series of rivets 16.

In the manufacture of these disks I first prepare them as indicated byFigs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, and in the case of the rear disk 11 I emboss asleeve-like seat having a corrugated or wavy outline as indicated by 17while with the front, disk this seat has a smooth outline as indicatedby 18. I

In both disks I form a series of holes indicated by 19 which are on thelines demarking the a erture to be made in the central portion 0 thedisks where they join into the hub members.

The main sleeve portion of the demountable hub to which the disks arepermanently secured is indicated by 20, and a front view of this isshown in Fig. 3 and in this view the nose of this hub piece is turnedover as indicated by 21 into an internally extending sleevelike flange.

From this front. end, backward. there are tapering corrugations asindicated by 22 which terminate in a wavy flange 23 in harmony with thecorrugations 22.

The shape of these corrugations 22 corresponds with the corrugated seat17 of the disk 11.

In order to firmly lock the disk 11 into the hub piece 22 I provide acorrugated or fluted ring 24 an edge sectional view of which is shown inFig. 14 and a plan in Fig. 11.

The size and shape of this ring 24 are such that it forms a press fitwhen the same is seated in place joining the disk 11 into the hub member22 as indicated in Fig. 2.

At the outer end of the hub I provide the hub stamping or nose piece 25which may be a malleable casting if desired, but I profor to make it ofa stamping. This nose piece has its outer end 26 in substantially thesame form as the nose of the hub of a wire wheel and this hub piece isalso provided with an inclined surface 27 against which the taperedinner nose 28 of the nut 29 clamps, which locks the wheel on to thefixed hub.

From the inclined ring ortion 27 of this nose piece there extends t ewall 30 which is turned over into the flange 31 that bears on the seat18 of the disk 12 and locks the latter tightly into the hub barrel piece22.

After this locking operation is completed there is turned over theflange 33 which permanently secures the nose iece 25 into the hub barrel22 and thus ma es the outer sleeve or hub of the demountable wheel.

The metal of the disk 11 is turned around over the flange 33 as isindicated by 34, and thus makes a tight lock of the sheet of metal.

In assembling the parts after the several parts are made and the disksformed as indicated by the Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, I first assemble thedisks into the rim and into the hub barrel 22 as indicated by Fig. 13and at this stage of the work the disks are firmly secured to the rim.

Then I simultaneously press in the ring 21 and the nose piece 25 fromeach side and these parts fi't against the portions 35 and 36 of thedisks and draw the metal of the body of the disks into this cavity orseat and in this drawing operation the middle portions 37, as outlinedby the holes 19, Figs, 6 to 9 are torn loose from the main body of thedisk and are thus severed and removed and the body of the metal of thedisk is drawn tightly into the hub portion,

putting tension in the plates all around in the act of assembling theparts.

After the parts are assembled the inner edge of the seat of the frontdisk 12 is flanged over as indicated b 34, and the inner edge of thedisk 11 is attened out into the flange 38.

After this assembly has taken place I weld with a torch a few spots 39around the edge of the ring 24, which thus binds this ring intopermanent relationship in the disk 11. and the hub barrel 22.

Welding is not necessarily employed in making a secure union of the nosepiece 25 of the hub into the hub barrel 22, because it is well securedthrough the medium of the turned flange 33.

However, as a matter of safet I weld a few spots 40 on the zone around te front of the disk 12 and the flange member 30 of the nose piece.

The inner hub 3 of the wheel'is provided with a flange 41 which isturned over into a corrugated flange 42 and the'latter flange.

is fitted to make a close union on the inside of the ring 24 and thusaflords the means of preventing the revolution of the hub barrel 22 onthe inner hub 3.

-The flange 42 is secured by the bolts 43 to the flange 44 of the hubart, which is fixed to the axle but as be ore described, these two partsmay be made a unitary piece.

Hubs correspondin to the part 3 are usually made of malleab e iron orforgings and made as I have shown, with the flange 41 bent forward andthen turned over into the flange 42, leaving the annular corrugatedgroove 45, which permits this flange 42 to be stamped exactly to shapewith suitable dies, regardless of whether the material is a forging or amalleable casting, which is a desideratum.

It will be readily understood that suitable dies may be made that mayfinally shape the outer contour of the flange 42 to properly fit thecontour of the ring 24 and thus make a cheap and very desirable meansfor securing a demountable wheel on to the fixed hub.

In assembling the disks I have shown this work may be very quicklyaccomplished and with a certainty of always securlng the desired fit andtension of the parts which is not true in cases where weldedsheets orthe like are employed.

In securing a metal disc to a hub it is do sirable to provide as much aspossible against tearing the metal through the tor no of the drivingpower for the wheels. are bolts have been used forthis ur use the metalof the disc is usually so thin t at the bolts cut into the metal andelongate the holes or tear the sheet to its destruction. I guard againstthis feature by theflutes or corrizigations 17 in the disc 11 which bymeans of the increased number as desired of these corrugations thedesired strength against torque may be arrived at in any thickness ofdisc that may otherwise stand the service.

This feature of making an inturned corrugated flange may be use in theassembly ofother parts other than I have shown and may be used to agreat advantage with wheels of what are known as the single discconstruction. The corrugated seat in the hub adapted to fitthiscorrugated disc may be made also with single disc construction or inother relationships than that that I have shown and still obtain thedesired results broughtaabeut bythis corrugated torque connection whichis a great desideratum.

'What I claim is 1. The combination with a rim and a hub barrel of twodiscs secured to the rim and havin their hub zones forced laterally intoand c osely fitting the interior of the opposite ends of the hub,respectively, and corresponding clamping rings pressed into andpermanently fixed in the in-bent portions of the disks.

2. The combination with a rim and a hub having a barrel, and anose-piece and clamping ring to enter the ends, respectively, of thebarrel, of two sheet metal disks havin their central portions laterallyflanged an pressed into the ends of said barrel, respec tivel and riidly ipped, respectively, be-" tweeii the in erior r if the barrel andsaid nosepiece and clamping ring.

3. In a Wheel of the class described, a rim having two disks securedthereto along a common line and the body of the disks diverging fromthis line to opposite end portions, respectively, of the hub barrel;with clamping members in the ends of the said hub barrel adapted toclamp the hub region of the disks into the hub barrel and provide thebearing surfaces for the wheel on the inner hub.

4. In a wheel of the class described, a rim composed of two parts, oneparthaving an offset annular horizontally extending flange of a diametersmaller than the tread and with the secondary part having a tread flangeprojecting over the said annular flange; with two disks turned over ontheir margins and embraced in clam ing relation by the two sections ofthe rim iiimge and the parts secured together.

5. In a wheel of the class described, two disks forming the web of thewheel and having their outer margins turned over in Z form and with arim portion provided with clamping flanges that embrace the Z formededge of the web disks.

6. In a wheel of the class described, having its web portion composed oftwo disks dished in oppositely disposed relationship to each other andunited to the rim along a common line and provided in their huh regionwith flanges adapted to lit difl'crentl inclined portions of theinterior of a ll) barrel member and means for clamping the said flangesagainst said interior.

7. In a wheel of the class described, havin its web portion composed oftwo disks dis hed in oppositely disposed relationship to each other andunited to the rim along approximately the same lines and provided intheir hub region with flanges adapted to embrace and engage a hub barrelmemher and means for clamping these said flanges into the hub barrel,said means having hearing surfaces adapted to engage the fixed hubmember.

8. In combination, a front disk, at rear' disk, a corrugated hub barrelover which fits a lateral, like-corrugated fiange of one of the disks,and a like-corrugated clamping ring forcin intimate engagement of thecorrugations o the disk and barrel.

9. The combination with a hub having internally sleeve-like sli htlytapered end ortions, of a rim, two s ieet metal disks xed to the rim andeach having a central, cuplike, depressed portion forced into thecorresponding end of the hub to put the body of the disk under tension,and members clamping against the sleeve-like hub the disk parts forcedinto the latter.

10. In a wheel of the class described, having theweb formed of disks, ahub barrel embraced by the disks and with the body of the disks. turnedinto the ends of the hub barrel and drawn under tension and securedtherein while the tension is held on the disks.

11. In a wheel of the class described, an outer hub and an inner hub,with disks forming the Web of the wheel secured to the outer hub undertension and fixed therein while the tension is held thereo 12. Ademountable disk wheel composed of a rim, with two disks formin the weband a demountable hub compose of three pieces, namely a hub barrel, anend piece and a clamping ring and said end piece and clamping ringengaging the metal of the disks and clamping them to the hub barrel.

13. In a metal disk wheel, the combination with an inner hub member, ofa hub barrel having end pieces furnishing the bearing surface on theinner hub, and two disks extending outwardly from said end pieces andmeeting at the rim.

14. In a device of the class described, a hub connection between thedisk and the hub com oscd of a corrugated flange on the disk at t e hubseat and the hub seat fitted to this corrugated flange in a manner thatthe torque or drive between the hub and rim may be taken up by the saidcorrugated arrangement of the parts.

15. In a device of the class described, a

disk provided-with a torque connection becorrugated flange aduptad tofit over and tween the hub and the! d isk in the form of engage saidcorrugations on said h'ub memanorrugated seat in the disk dad a c'orher.r'espondmg part in the hub. Signed at Chicago, county of Cook, and i 16.In Ia. wheel of the cla'ss'. described, th Strife of Illinois February17th, 1923.

combination with a corrugated hub member of a sheet mew-I web having anintegral WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that Reissue Letteis Patent No 16235. glnntrilILL-on lr 29, 1925, upon the application of \Villiam Erastus Williams,of \Vilmvtte, Illinois. for an improveu'nent in Tension-Plnte Wheels,were erroneously iSSlll'd u duel Wheel Corporation, of Lansing,Michigan, a Corporation of Michigan. whereas said Letters Patent shouldhave been issued to Ame/via. Steel Fmuulm'w. urago. Illinois, aCorporation of New Jersey, said corporation being assignee of tlw entireinterest in said invention, as shown by the records of assignments in H5nfl -t and that the said Lettois Patent should he read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent ()fiim;

Signed and sealed this 9th day of Febrniuy, A. D. 1926.

[am] WM. A. KINNAN,

Aotz'ng 00mm iasiovwr of Patents.

